Cloud services will be a leading driver of productivity for manufacturers over the next decade. Businesses focused on reducing costs and improving the quality of manufacturing solutions will increasingly turn to the cloud for SaaS solutions. Read this white paper by president and CEO of inKumo, Inc., and find out how this new era of technology will dramatically improve productivity and cost savings in the industry.
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In the coming years, a new Internet protocol, IPv6, will gradually succeed IPv4. The two Internet protocols aren’t interchangeable or compatible, so organizations will have to run them both in parallel on their networks for some time. This checklist offers five steps as a phased, cost-effective approach to move to the next-generation Internet protocol.
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Selecting the right software provider for your business can be a daunting. The last thing any person or company wants is to invest in the wrong technology and choose the wrong partnership. This white paper identifies five common mistakes distributors make when embarking on the software selection process and provides tips for keeping your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system replacement on track.
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Semiconductor manufacturers can work more closely with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and expand into new markets by using Web 2.0 technologies. Infosys' experts reveal "white spaces" in semiconductor marketing strategies that can be addressed by digital and mobile capabilities. They demonstrate how best practices in information and customer experience embedded in Infosys' Semiconductor Digital Engagement Maturity Model can deliver a competitive advantage.
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Tenrox Project Workforce Management is now TEC Certified for online evaluation of PPM solutions in the Project and Process Management Evaluation Center. The certification seal is a valuable indicator for organizations relying on the integrity of TEC research for assistance with their software selection projects. Download this report for product highlights, competitive analysis, product analysis, and in-depth analyst commentary.
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Over 190 companies were surveyed regarding their challenges within demand-supply networks and the top priorities for managing these networks. This paper is based on an analysis of that survey and highlights the need for companies to focus on intelligent response management strategies that bridge planning and execution.
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Establishing the right metrics framework as part of an overall performance management strategy means companies can break down enterprise-level goals—such as order fulfillment and forecast accuracy—into department-level metrics such as on-time delivery and plant utilization. Read about a model that makes it easier to identify, communicate, and replicate the most effective practices.
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While new technology trends are invading the business intelligence (BI) space, technology shifts and hype do not necessarily equate to the ability to exploit the best tools for enhancing business performance. To select a best-fit BI solution, an organization needs to be able to realistically assess the maturity of its BI infrastructure. This allows them to discover where they are, what their BI requirements are, and how to determine the best BI solution or strategy. Download the full report now.
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Retailers today need to acquire ability to quickly adapt to changing market conditions or customer trends. They also need to plan for the future. One technology that can assist retailers is wireless. Wireless technology can be used not only to address business problems such as quick price changes, but can also help retailers make internal operations more efficient. They need a comprehensive wireless strategy that supports all aspects of the retail organization, from store operations, to warehouse or distribution centers, to corporate offices. Download this white paper to learn more.
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Organizations usually rely on historical data and transactions to determine their pricing strategy. However, this data is typically insufficient to arrive at a competitive price. Moreover, customers these days are well informed about the value of products they want to purchase. That's why organizations need to arrive at their pricing strategy only after taking into consideration external intelligence and competitive data. E-procurement systems and price comparison websites have put customers in the bargaining position with the availability of real-time information. This is the type and speed of data organizations need to obtain. Leveraging such information can help an organization counter the threats of new entrants, competitive rivalry, and substitutes with a strong pricing strategy.
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Is your organization getting the most out of its enterprise software systems? Answering that question can be tricky. Inadequate documentation or missing in-house knowledge can make it difficult to determine how well your current systems support your company’s business processes. And that can make it nearly impossible to know what changes, if any, are required. A software capabilities assessment project from TEC can help. Learn more now.
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Today’s small and midsize companies are destined to make uninformed decisions on an alarmingly regular basis. Executives simply do not have the relevant information to make the best decisions in a timely manner. Read this paper to know how gaining real-time visibility of the enterprise helps small and midsize companies leverage consistency, accuracy, and timeliness via a single data source to make better, faster decisions.
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How can management communicate the organization’s strategy effectively and assure that the entire organization has bought into it and is aligned with it? Business performance optimization systems are an important tool for success. By using business performance optimization systems, employees are empowered to confidently make timely, strategically-aligned decisions based upon facts, not intuition or corporate politics. See how.
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Engaging in conversation with consumers through new social media channels is helping retailers strengthen customer relationships and enhance their brand. To manage this conversation effectively, you need solutions that help you capture and analyze a massive amount of social media data and prepare an appropriate, individualized response. This white paper explores the ideal social media solution.
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Profitable customer experience (CE) strategies are holistic, sustainable, and focused on creating competitive differentiation. If you can deliver highly valuable experiences to your customers, in a sustainable way, the reward will be loyal, engaged advocates who help you grow your business. Read more to better understand how companies can provide a superlative customer experience and still make a profit.
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Insight is the power to see into a given situation. As such, it requires a combination of experience and analytics to enable better decision making. Insight helps small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) uncover opportunities and expose shortcomings, thus establishing the basis for corrective action. Read about continuing on the path toward greater insight and developing a long-term business intelligence (BI) strategy.
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Organizations need technology that can unlock the value of information. Information can drive new insights to help transform and significantly improve the business, especially critical in an uncertain economy. This paper highlights common mistakes companies make in a down economy and discusses how organizations can use business intelligence to avoid them. A self-assessment questionnaire is included.
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Chief financial officers (CFOs) and other senior managers are under tremendous pressure to maximize profitability, reduce operational costs, minimize risk, and improve stakeholder confidence. Read about an application that can help you streamline operations, instill confidence, and reduce risk. The solution provides planning, budgeting, and forecasting and supports financial consolidation and reporting operations.
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Your company’s focus has been on streamlining operations, acquiring customers, increasing revenues and profitability, and outpacing the competition, instead of analyzing what’s going on and planning for the future. Further, you need to know where to concentrate your efforts. This white paper offers guidance on how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your company with business intelligence.
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Due to the wide range of size, scope, and complexity within the extended enterprise, different units often have different functional requirements for the business management software they use. The different demands can become a barrier to future growth, profitability, and agility. So how do you coordinate resources and activities to get everybody on the same page within an extended enterprise?
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Innovation has many dimensions. For a long time, innovation referred to new-product development. Business model innovation is broader and impacts the enterprise holistically. It doesn’t necessarily mean doing new things, just doing things differently. Read about the adaptive enterprise and the importance of information technology (IT).
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Software can’t tell you how to beat the competition, but it can determine which products and services have the greatest profit margin, who are the most productive employees, or how investments are impacting the bottom line. Knowing that information helps you make the right decisions. This report addresses how finance can create an accurate, actionable 360-degree view of your company
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Pervasive business intelligence (BI) results when organizational culture, business processes, and technologies are designed and implemented with the goal of improving the strategic, operational, and tactical decision-making capabilities of a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. Read about creating a BI strategy and improving your BI competency.
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The three themes of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) have been central to the management agenda for a decade. But whereas years ago it was the “C” in GRC that kept executives awake at night (and indeed was the impetus behind the development of GRC in the first place), in the post-crisis world it is the “R” that has risen to the top of the agenda. Learn about a more efficient approach to managing risk and compliance.
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Best-in-class retailers are turning to pervasive business intelligence (BI) to increase consumer-centric data accessibility. This report examines how retailers are incorporating BI tools into their standard processes to establish a company-wide view into constantly changing customer buying trends, and how internal departments are using this data to make processes more efficient and effective throughout the enterprise.
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SAP's acquisition of Sybase foreshadows a revolutionary change in the enterprise mobility space. John Chen, CEO of Sybase, discusses what the company has to offer as a new member of the SAP family, including exciting technology developments that position Sybase and SAP to lead this mobile revolution.
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By developing, communicating, and implementing an actionable yet flexible enterprise mobility strategy, an organization can unlock new business value from its investments. Having a mobility strategy enables the organization to quickly adopt state-of-the-art, innovative mobile technologies and transform itself into a “mobile enterprise” in a sustainable and secure manner—now and in the increasingly mobile future.
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In just a few short years, social media has revolutionized the way people communicate and share information. For apparel companies, going social is no longer an option; it is a strategic business element that provides them the opportunity to collect detailed information on users and their habits, elicit real feedback and suggestions, and refine their offering and messaging to better suit user demands.
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Increased regulatory requirements, the need for transparency, and the desire to better manage and mitigate risks together make governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) top of mind for both business and information technology (IT) executives. Business managers and IT security managers must work collaboratively to control access and authorization to guard against fraud and mistakes, while ensuring profitability and compliance.
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Best-practice performance management requires processes to run seamlessly across enterprise performance management applications. This permits the sharing of data, enabling business managers to collaborate and make better and quicker decisions that give the organization the agility it needs in today’s increased uncertainty. This paper sets out how one enterprise performance management (EPM) solution delivers.
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The short list of what retailers need from first-generation mobile capabilities is surprisingly long, spanning deep product information, ratings and reviews, scanning capabilities, full commerce, and more. Download this white paper to learn more about the state of consumer mobile in retail today, as well as the mobile use cases that retailers have currently deployed. Download now.
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Project-based solutions (PBS) is a new type of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for complex, engineer-to-order companies and companies facing rapid change. And these days, most companies do face change, and their legacy ERP systems strain to keep up. Is PBS a better choice for you than traditional ERP?
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Promoting band image, improving overall business performance, and keeping customers happy is a main concern of many businesses. This paper demonstrates how the Extended Enterprise platform can help specific verticals to promote and sell their products to external audiences. Know the value of the Extended Enterprise solution in financial services, insurance, government, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and associations.
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The administration and management of printing can be time-consuming, often relying on manual processes. Many businesses are rethinking their approach to managing the print environment, by either adopting a managed service or implementing centralized print management tools. This can ensure the high availability, reliability and manageability of printing resources, while leaving IT staff free to focus on core activities.
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Successfully meeting today’s business challenges requires effective project management. How well your organization manages projects, tracks costs, and identifies and addresses project-related issues can have a big impact on your bottom line. But if your company still relies on traditional, stand-alone project management applications, most likely you lack the end-to-end process support you need to ensure success.
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The model of software delivery is in the midst of transition from traditional on-premise server−based software to software deployed over the Internet. This is in interplay with the emergence of new mobile technologies; a business environment where companies have to work in a distributed network of teams, partners, and clients; and changed end user needs and expectations. Read here to see how these changes can impact you.
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Human resources (HR) professionals are tasked with ensuring employee needs are fulfilled and employer interests are protected. Management of core employee data, such as record-keeping, time and attendance, and payroll processing, is a cornerstone of every HR operation, and the way companies collect and maintain such data is critical. Find out what core HR management capabilities and systems today’s companies are using.
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Improving business efficiency is a perennial concern for any company. While many companies employ siloed applications and manual business processes to improve efficiency, “best-in-class” companies are more likely to exploit enterprise resource planning (ERP) technology to improve their operational efficiency to reduce costs and enhance profitability, and make more resources available for strategic planning. Find out how.
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Universities and other higher education establishments have to address the need for savings across the board. One area is expenses from faculty members and other associated with faculty. The complex mix of expense types needs a flexible yet solid means of managing spend as close as possible to the point of expense that encourages the individual to participate in the process without it being seen as an imposition. Know how.
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The case company decided to carry out an information technology infrastructure library (ITIL) implementation, and in so doing hoped to make production in IT more visible, increase customer satisfaction, and maintain or increase employee satisfaction in IT. Implement Consulting Group facilitated the process selection and design and managed the requirement collection, selection, and implementation phases of the project.
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The case company implemented an information technology services management (ITSM) system to support information technology infrastructure library (ITIL)–inspired processes. Implement Consulting Group had the project management responsibility during the entire process—from the preliminary requirement collection to selection and implementation to testing and go-live.
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Our global study of small and medium-sized discrete manufacturers worldwide revealed the industry is struggling with increasing complexity, global competition, rapidly changing business environments, and volatile raw materials prices. While manufacturers worldwide face similar challenges, this study clarifies how strategic initiatives and priorities vary by sector, geography, and job description.
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Enterprise resource planning (ERP) provides the necessary infrastructure that forms the operations and transactional system of record for manufacturers of all types and sizes. Now decades old, as it has become more pervasive, there is risk in perceiving it as a given and neglecting to measure its business benefits. This research explores best-in-class approaches to realizing the greatest business benefit possible from ERP.
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Rapid implementation is key to achieving rapid benefits. How can an industry that expects a slow return on investment speed up the process? Centric believes that customers should expect to see meaningful returns on product lifecycle management (PLM) investments within a product cycle, or four to six months. Learn the principles behind Centric’s rapid implementation methodology and how one customer reaped rapid benefits.
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Loss of strategic vision and leadership can pose a greater threat to organizations than dramatic economic downturn. Companies that invest in technology wisely will gain a competitive advantage and even prosper during hard times. Achieving financial results hinges on finding a product lifecycle management (PLM) solution that delivers business benefits not only in the short-term but also long into the future. Read how now.
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A simulation project is much more than building a model. And the skills required go well beyond knowing a particular simulation tool. This paper discusses some important steps to enable project success and some cautions and tips to help avoid common traps.
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When it comes to business process management (BPM), it makes sense to “look before you leap.” Organizations considering using BPM to automate or streamline business processes should step back and understand what is at the core of each process. Is it a well-defined workflow? Does it have a set of related tasks or steps? Find out how answering these questions can help you define the right BPM solution for your organization.
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Today’s project management offices (PMOs) must optimize their project plans while managing complex projects concurrently, respecting delivery dates, and reducing resource costs. Decisions made based on the construction and interpretation of these plans have crucial consequences for the projects themselves, for the people involved, and for profits. Discover eight strategies to improve your project plans.
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For managed services providers (MSPs) aiming to serve small and medium-sized businesses, the ability to capture and retain lasting customer relationships is a determining factor for long-term profitability. Only by clearly and consistently communicating your value to your customer can you hope to attain the role of trusted advisor—a position that will help protect you from losing business to lower-priced competitors. Learn how an integrated, offline reporting solution can help ensure that your customers perceive your value in the ways that matter most to all managers within the customer organization.
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A business' success delivering managed services depends on its ability to improve the delivery of effective and efficient services to its customer base. Learn about ways that managed services providers (MSPs) can develop a higher-value business by improving their ability to attract and retain high-quality customers and provide IT services in an effective manner.
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Service companies that want to thrive need to find a better way to deliver services and run their business. Automating IT services is the answer, and it should be the immediate goal of any company that aims to stay in business as market pressures increase. Looking beyond basic automation, becoming a managed services provider (MSP) should be the long-term goal. Discover ways to ensure your service company's survival in today’s competitive IT services market.
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For all but the smallest companies, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system promises big gains, by helping to grow revenue, increase productivity, improve efficiency, and manage costs. Right now, ERP for the midmarket is a hot topic. More and more midsized companies are replacing outdated ERP software or are jumping into ERP technology for the first time. Find out about what midmarket ERP buyers need to know.
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Business process management (BPM) and process improvement support the management and continuous improvement of business processes, both cross-departmental and enterprise-wide. How can you empower the transformation to lean and manage business operations in the various stages of its transformation, and manage the transition to lean? Learn about a BPM solution that employs lean Six Sigma for faster process improvements.
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As you begin a customer relationship management (CRM) initiative, software selection is only one facet of a successful project. You may consider implementing your new CRM system with internal resources. But even in providing a simple CRM solution in your company, a number of steps need to take place, including requirements gathering, configuration, and more. Discover the benefits of selecting a CRM implementation partner.
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Business process management (BPM) is an approach to administering business processes that involves people, organizations, and technologies—and can be carried out using varying levels of automation. Sadly, BPM often falls short of what it is intended to achieve. But there’s a fresh evolution of current BPM: goal-oriented autonomic BPM. Learn about the ideas, techniques, and benefits of autonomic and goal-oriented BPM.
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Change management is an inherent part of software implementation. Ideally, you want new business processes and the software to support them. However, companies still often compromise, due to their implementation approach and technology limitations—resulting in needless expense. There is a more rapid approach to implementation and change management, with reduced risk, greater value, and lower total cost of ownership (TCO).
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Sales at F.J. Westcott began to grow, placing a greater demand on its legacy enterprise resource planning (ERP) system’s inventory capabilities. Unrelieved inventory and other challenges led Westcott to seek a new ERP system—and a software evaluation and comparison methodology within the company’s budget. See how Technology Evaluation Centers’ Software Selection Services provided the resources for a confident decision.
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This may be a challenging economic period, but smart companies will use it as an opportunity to examine operational efficiency and best practices to reap benefits once the market improves. Your warehouse management system (WMS), a vital component of the supply chain execution suite, should be a key contributor in the search for cost-saving efficiencies—as well as the integration of your global supply chains. Learn more.
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International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are the reporting standards developed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). IFRS is now required or permitted in nearly 100 countries, while others plan to adopt or align with IFRS soon. In the US, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) will soon be aligned with IFRS. Find out how this will affect your company, and what you can do about it.
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The implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to automate business processes is a strategic investment. Buying the right system and choosing the best vendor for you are critical to a successful ERP implementation. As a decision maker, you need to quickly identify your ERP requirements, effectively communicate these needs to vendors, and successfully compare various product alternatives. Learn how.
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Is a total ban on workplace social networking a good idea? Companies should take more calculating points of view and look at how to turn the negative effects of social networking into positive effects. Employers can manage employee social networking to maximize the positives. The strategy combines employee education, well-thought-out acceptable use policies (AUPs), and—critically—effective Web filtering technology.
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Process improvement efforts often go hand in hand with a balanced scorecard (BSC). A BSC provides management with a set of key result indicators (KRI) to assess how the company is progressing toward strategic goals, such as “increase customer base.” For this type of goal, the KRI are tied to key performance indicators (KPIs). Explore how an application intelligence platform (AIP) can support a process improvement program.
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You know your organization’s need for stronger IT security can’t wait any longer. Regulatory compliance and the risk of a data breach are forcing you to implement more stringent security procedures. But password problems still consume time and money. Though the benefits of single sign-on (SSO) and strong authentication are significant, deploying an IT security solution can be daunting. Get tips on how to go about it.
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The idea that tier-one systems are difficult to maintain and upgrade is based on outdated notions about their complexity and flexibility. Although tier-one systems are more complex internally than tier-two or tier-three systems, tier-one systems are often easier to maintain: for one thing, one enterprise system is easier to maintain than several. Learn more about this and other reasons for upgrading to a tier-one system.
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Sole-sourcing business intelligence (BI) software from enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendors is an alluring option for many companies. But in addition to the benefits, there are drawbacks. A study of 100 enterprises from the United States and the European Union that have deployed BI and ERP from the same vendor investigates whether customers are experiencing what sole-sourcing promised to deliver. Learn more.
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Many successful midsized companies reach a point when transitioning to a tier-one enterprise application system is necessary. Transitioning to a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is a challenge—but it may not be as complex as you think. Learn common myths about tier-one ERP systems, as well as how ERP solutions can help you manage regulatory compliance and track performance with key performance indicators.
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Everything manufacturing executives thought they knew about project management and operations management is changing. Now, project managers may be connecting elements of an ongoing enterprise with a project in order to achieve certain defined goals, or use projects in a recurring way. Discover the many benefits manufacturers can realize by adopting a management-by-project approach with project-centric ERP software.
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To drive improvements in operating profit and customer service, you need to use business intelligence (BI) dashboard tools both tactically for operational visibility—and strategically for more forward-looking analysis. But you also need to ensure the use of BI is pervasive across the enterprise. Get insight into three discrete datasets that can help you examine the value of pervasive BI and drive business improvement.
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In today’s competitive global business environment, nearly all firms work hard to analyze alternatives and create strategies that enable competitive advantage. But 9 out of 10 companies fail to implement strategy effectively. How can you communicate the strategy effectively and assure that the entire company is aligned behind it? Discover how business performance optimization systems can help you make better decisions.
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Sales and operations planning (S&OP) was identified as companies’ number two area of focus, in a survey of 805 companies for Aberdeen’s Supply Chain Executive’s Strategic Agenda study. Further research on the supply chain identifies how the S&OP process is helping corporate executives accomplish their overall business strategies. Find out what the four broad strategies are, and how best-in-class companies are using them.
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Financial pressures can strain even the most efficient and lean company. So forward-thinking companies should now turn to the chief financial officer (CFO). The strategic CFO is equipped with the tools, plans, and fiscal philosophy that can transform the CFO’s role into a strategic business asset. Discover the processes that allow the CFO to break away from the old paradigm toward better financial and risk management.
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Pressures to reduce costs still outweigh all other business drivers that have an impact on enterprise resource planning (ERP) in 2009. ERP is more than a necessary infrastructure; it’s also a strategic weapon in streamlining and accelerating business processes—while providing visibility to those processes. Discover more about the overall value ERP brings to manufacturing, with Aberdeen’s annual assessment of ERP usage.
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Part one of the “Lean Simplified” series looked at manufacturing wastes, lean principles, and the benefits of lean manufacturing. Here, in Part two, you’ll be taken through the action stage of lean practices: implementing lean. Understand the “5S” program toward implementing lean and begin laying the foundation of a discipline that is necessary for effective implementation of more complicated lean tools such as kanban.
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“Build it and they will come” is not a strategy for e-commerce success. You wouldn’t expect a new store to bring in business without advertising and promotion, so why would you build a Web site and expect it to boost business if nobody knows it exists? E-commerce must be supported with marketing and advertising. Learn about the other nine reasons why e-commerce fails and how you can overcome these pitfalls.
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In today’s demanding project delivery environment, meeting contract deadlines is paramount. Companies are under pressure to rapidly establish plans, isolate deliverables, and deliver quality products. Learn about a project delivery management system that can help you streamline collaboration between business units, ensuring each step is monitored and controlled so you can deliver your project on time and on budget.
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Strategic implementation can have a huge impact on success in the online environment. It can mean the difference between a successful or unsuccessful launch, and can greatly affect end results in terms of usability, functionality, and impact on the bottom line. Learn more about a Web site implementation strategy that can transform business processes, maximize return on investment (ROI), and improve efficiency.
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The first role of the corporate controller has been to ensure corporate financial controls and—as a distant second—make strategic business contributions. But the installation of on-premise enterprise resource planning (ERP) and accounting software meant that controllers’ roles now involve financial software know-how. To achieve financial transformation, controllers need guidance and practical strategies. Learn more.
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In today’s challenging economic environment, companies require effective IT executive leadership. As part of the executive team, the chief information officer (CIO) develops and executes strategies that create competitive advantages for revenue growth. But knowing which tools to use—and when and how to use them—to protect current assets is key to a CIO coach’s success. Learn more about making better IT decisions.
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The term program management office (PMO) has been around for some time. Its core concepts, methods, and benefits have remained constant, while resources and tools have changed somewhat over the years. But not understanding what a program office is and when it should be leveraged is a common pitfall and reason for failure. Find out more about the program office, and its roles, processes, and responsibilities.
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During a recession, successful businesses change their approach to managing information technology (IT) sourcing. The challenge is to become more efficient and invest in IT so the return on investment (ROI) is realized quickly and business competitiveness is improved at lower cost. IT vendor management allows you to build a mutually beneficial relationship with your suppliers and service providers. Find out how.
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In 2006, Poudre Valley Health System (PVHS) was about to open a new hospital in Colorado (US). PVHS’s human resources (HR) department saw the need to change some existing processes, including the method of referencing job candidates. After one year of using a new HR hiring process solution, PVHS was able to predict supervisor evaluations of new hires and had the potential to save over $850,000 (USD). Learn more.
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A commonsense approach to defining an onboarding initiative starts with the company defining its objectives, prioritizing its goals, and carefully evaluating the options. When considering human resources technology specifically designed with the onboarding process in mind, you should focus on the flexibility of the onboarding solution options. Learn more about managing employee onboarding with an automated solution.
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For companies that seek to align their workforces with business objectives and turn human capital into a competitive advantage, learning and development will be a critical enabler. Best-in-class companies are more than twice as likely as laggard companies to have a learning and development strategy that’s integrated with overall strategy. Find out how you can avoid lagging and become more like the best-in-class companies.
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Unfortunately, leaders often lack the visibility to predict workforce needs in difficult times, and human resources (HR) professionals often lack the business acumen to answer detailed data-driven workforce questions. As a result, many companies are currently operating in crisis mode, reacting to economic turmoil by downsizing their workforce. Find out how you can use workforce analytics for strategic workforce planning.
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Most enterprises have accumulated a surfeit of workforce and employee data. Only leading-edge companies are making extensive use of data to drive human capital management (HCM) decisions the way most companies use financial and marketing data to make strategic business decisions. Learn more about why—and how—you should be making fact-based workforce planning decisions that will help you survive the current recession.
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It’s a simple idea: get a better understanding of your customers’ wants and needs, deliver on their expectations, and your revenue will increase. But more than 40 percent of companies surveyed do not have a formal customer relationship management (CRM) strategy in place. And those that have one still struggle with CRM at nearly every stage. Learn more about areas where you can improve your own CRM system strategy.
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Showing value has always been key to greater sales and higher prices. However, the bar has been raised. It’s often no longer enough to claim value—now the customer has to see, believe, and care about the value. Sales organizations must get their eyes back on the value ball, with five value-selling maturity levels that tie in to sales effectiveness. Learn how to improve your revenues while reducing sales effort and costs.
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To succeed in ever-changing market conditions, you must manage and navigate an information network of business partners. Though you may have long focused your IT efforts on automating internal processes to save money, now you need to rethink how technology can support and transform the way decisions are made and business is conducted—both within and across your boundaries, focusing on key business processes. Learn more.
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Today, businesses must work smarter, not just harder—and to do it, they must use information to compete. With growing demands on data resources, companies need to derive greater value from their existing information. But this information is often scattered throughout the organization. To survive in the current tough economic environment means building successful enterprise information management strategies. Find out how.
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Large enterprises have different warehouse management and inventory management needs than do small and mid-market companies. Find out about the key factors to success for mid-market companies, identify big-picture trends and needs that can help you overcome barriers to enjoy inventory management as a true strategic advantage—and learn about an inventory management solution specially designed for the mid-market.
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The concepts of return on investment (ROI) and total cost of ownership (TCO) have been used for decades in enterprise evaluations of IT investments, including enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. However, with the emergence of important new technological advances, executives are now expanding these traditional formulas to account for new opportunities. Learn more about their new methods for measuring ERP value.
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There’s no magic bullet for compliance success—even the most experienced organizations use a combination of reliable processes and proven technologies to get the job done. But identifying, designing, and executing the right internal controls to meet compliance standards in a large, global company can be arduous and expensive. The systems you use to support compliance efforts must be implemented well. Find out more.
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In today’s challenging economic environment, no company can afford to be rash. But can the “do nothing” approach really pass as sound business strategy? As in the best of times, companies need to understand the nature of the pressures they face and take clear action to address them head-on. Discover how to see clearly, think clearly, and act clearly—focus your energy on developing clarity and transparency in your company.
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To many managers, the words “business process management” (BPM) conjure up images of complexity—months of planning, meetings, and more meetings. While BPM can be complex, it needn’t be. You can move quickly to implement process automation for your company. Learn what to consider and act on as you contemplate how to automate your business processes and increase competitive advantage and customer loyalty.
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The US and world markets are facing dramatic economic challenges. You may be questioning whether the business practices that worked for you before will continue to provide the same levels of profitability. To improve your operations or profitability, you need to take advantage of new technologies. But to get started, you need to know where you stand, and in which direction to move. Find out more about leadership strategy.
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As the economic downturn deepens, there’s no shortage of advice on how your company is to survive—where to cut costs and how to retrench the business. But despite the natural inclination to spend as little as possible, a recession might actually be a great time to use market conditions to your advantage. Find out why now is the time to invest in talent, increase your market presence, perk up your processes, and more.
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As time passes, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems drift further and further into misalignment with enterprise goals, strategies, and tactics. Eventually your legacy ERP system begins to interfere with your company’s ability to operate efficiently. Examine ERP evaluation criteria and techniques, and equip yourself with the tools and knowledge you need to measure your current ERP system’s effectiveness.
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Survey data shows that companies want to improve their strategic business partnerships. Reflecting on lessons learned from past business relationships, 60 percent of respondents say that in future they’ll place more emphasis on developing personal relationships and setting expectations with business partners. Find out how these companies are creating collaborative networks that include business partners and consumers.
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Better. Faster. Cheaper. Every company is grappling with these concepts today as economic uncertainty spreads. Though many are focusing on what to eliminate in their operations, leading firms are redoubling their efforts to find new ways to execute with greater efficiency—to achieve operational excellence without sacrificing the value their customers expect. Learn more about improving your strategic competitive advantage.
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IT has long been one of the best ways to address business challenges. Yet significant obstacles at the level of IT infrastructure stand in the way. Siloed IT operations and rigid IT management processes can impede business agility. When IT partners with the business to act less as a technology provider and more as a service provider, business objectives can be achieved more efficiently and cost-effectively. Find out how.
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During a downturn economy, the IT department is often among the first to be hit with senior executives’ cost-cutting initiatives. Yet in some instances, IT investments deliver more value to a company’s top and bottom lines—by creating new efficiencies and increasing revenues—than any savings gained from traditional IT cost-cutting. Discover the other reasons why your IT spending can actually save money in the long run.
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Many small to medium businesses (SMBs) do not have experience with software as a service (SaaS), but are looking to adopt SaaS solutions soon. According to studies, 2009 will be the tipping point, with a majority of companies aiming to adopt SaaS this year. But these companies must be cautious, as the old rules for on-premise software analysis and purchase don’t apply. Discover the new rigorous criteria you should use.
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Issues of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) affect nearly everything life sciences companies do. But you shouldn’t approach GRC in an ad hoc manner—implementing point solutions one after another in response to regulatory demands as they arise. This is inefficient and costly—and may result in non-compliance, due to lack of transparency. Learn how an enterprise-wide GRC approach to compliance management can help.
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For years, utilities have seen a growing need to enable a smarter electric grid, promote cleaner power sources, and replace aging structures. These issues came into sharper focus when US President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This legislation provides funding for many energy initiatives—however, strict compliance guidelines come with the stimulus plan. Find out more.
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You needn’t be a seer or sage to perceive risk—it’s as predictable and devastating as a Florida hurricane and as far-reaching as a corporate scandal. But you do need to be a visionary to see the underside of the risk coin. This side represents opportunity, competitiveness, and growth. Find out why insight into managing two types of risk, rewarded and unrewarded, can help you explore opportunities for growth and profit.
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Many companies have used lean principles to move from a decentralized corporate management mode to a hybrid model—recognizing that different functions require different levels of centralized management to be efficient and effective. An effective lean transformation eliminates more than the most obvious areas of wasted time and resource. Find out how lean must address the unique requirements of various business processes.
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Driving sustainable growth requires profitability-focused planning and performance management. Most companies have some type of profitability reporting—but many are investing a lot of effort to produce this information. And the limitations to the information companies currently compile may have a significant impact on decision making. Learn how automating profitability reporting can help your company improve decisions.
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Business process management (BPM) is an attempt to provide a holistic view of a company’s workflows and automate processes. It provides a new management discipline, a new suite of software tools, and a new IT implementation style based on concrete links between strategy and execution. Learn more about SAP’s place in the BPM landscape and what its new BPM tool—NetWeaver BPM—can do to help you better manage your company.
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A benchmarking survey shows that most organizations have a reactive method to governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) management, channeling resources and management attention to address specific regulatory mandates independently and in isolation from each other. The result: fragmented GRC activities and data sources that increase costs and hinder business agility. Find out how your company can become less reactive.
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As modern enterprises grow in complexity and scope, managers struggle to keep pace. Business process management (BPM) is increasingly seen as a way to master the swelling complexity of modern corporations and coordinate the work of thousands of people by focusing on well-defined processes. Find out how BPM, applied the right way, can fulfill the promise of IT to automate business processes and directly support strategy.
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One company executive has a growing influence in today’s boardroom—the chief financial officer (CFO). And the role of the finance organizations that these CFOs lead is expanding as well. Examine the changing role of the finance organization in today’s business environment, learn how your CFO can take on a more prominent role in defining company strategy, and find out how you can develop a best-run finance organization.
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The current global economic instability means firms have to quickly adapt to business conditions. This uncertainty may increase companies’ reliance on business alliances to provide as-needed skills, services, and products. To optimize these alliances, finance should enter the discussion as early as possible. Find out where finance’s true value lies when realigning strategic objectives to include business collaboration.
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While different business strategies have been used to insulate firms from change, chief executive officers (CEOs) are beginning to see that their companies need to become more agile in making changes to strategy, operations, and products. But turning agility from a buzzword into a business capability means measuring and managing your ability to change. Find out how CEOs can take the lead in defining what agility means.
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Growth—whether organic or acquisitive—is challenging executives today from a strategic as well as an operational perspective. Studies estimate that 50 to 80 percent of deals fail to reach their projected results. Discover the challenges inherent in three common growth models, and find out how to implement a solid, flexible, and adaptive foundation that can support your company’s corporate growth strategies.
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Businesses of all sizes and in all industries are finding it difficult and costly to update and modify enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems after installation. The question isn’t whether a typical ERP solution supports change, but rather at what cost? Learn what midsize companies are doing about maintaining, modifying, and updating their ERP systems post-implementation, and what you could be doing better.
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Most strategies for dealing with e-mail deluge involve getting more power out of the e-mail solution: greater storage or better spam filters. But what if you’ve got the problem all wrong? The purpose of technology, including e-mail, is to enhance employee productivity. Find out how online collaboration tools can help you reduce the e-mail deluge, streamline information management, and increase overall productivity.
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To successfully meet compliance demands, pharmaceutical manufacturers must develop, implement, and track the effectiveness of a company-wide compliance strategy. Key to that strategy is to adopt industry-specific enterprise software with functionality that supports Federal Drug Administration (FDA) requirements. Learn more about the criteria and recommendations you need to achieve compliance in the pharmaceutical industry.
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The IT landscape has grown into a complex system of servers, networks, locations, products, and processes. Making all these systems work efficiently and securely has become an enormous task. This four-chapter e-book can help you identify the issues surrounding the design, control, and management of jobs, and give you insight into best practices for an efficient, maintainable job scheduling and workload automation system.
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The global economic downturn is impacting the way we do business. Many companies are looking to optimize costs. The best way to ensure your company’s survival is through strategic planning. High-level managers face many challenges that can be overcome by managing risks and tracking project progress and budgets. Find out why the key to success involves having the right information at the right level at the right time.
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Taleo, provider of software as a service (SaaS), was reaching $120 million (USD) and had more than 600 employees. Yet, in finance, the company was not quite so dynamic. The new director of finance recognized the need to move to a financial reporting system that featured technology advances. Find out about the online analytic processing (OLAP) server Taleo chose as part of its businessModify performance management strategy.
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Best practices for reporting have often been overlooked. Most of the time we focus on eye candy—such as dashboards—and overlook report generation and report production, which are crucial concepts at the heart of business intelligence (BI). Learn more about the current reporting situation, and learn about ways to use reporting tools to improve the reporting processes in your company and make them more efficient.
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Many companies recognize the need for project portfolio management (PPM) and implement a solution, but encounter cultural resistance to the initiative. Yet other companies can integrate PPM with virtually no resistance. The difference is the readiness for and acceptance of change in the company. Learn how to avoid the pitfalls, adhere to proven best practices, and realize the benefits and huge return on investment (ROI).
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IT spending is often an issue for companies, but in difficult economic times it’s even more important to see what benefit IT can bring to the business. But IT investments are most effective when they improve business performance. Find out the degree to which organizations in the United Kingdom (UK) understand what IT is doing for their businesses, and in particular how some companies measure this and benefit from it.
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The automation of traditional paper-based processes with technology can lead to unnecessary complexity. This leads to increased costs and other challenges which can be avoided if solutions are simple and fit closely to the business task in hand.
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Global demand for food and beverages continues to rise, and the market will pay a premium for partially prepared healthier choices. Food and beverage manufacturers with innovative solutions for these niche markets are in a position to gain brand dominance, resulting in higher revenues, profits, and market share. Discover tactical and strategic innovative practices that can help support changes in your business processes.
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Project portfolio management (PPM) software can provide a dynamic decision-making process for assessing projects such as portfolios, prioritizing projects, and allocating limited resources to meet key organizational objectives. Using PPM can also help you better align and manage your people, projects, and processes—giving you the ability to react quickly to change and minimize risk in the current declining market.
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Hyne Timber, with over 1,000 employees and 12 wholesale outlets in eastern Australia, finds advantage in taking a long view in developing its strategy. Part of that strategy is its IT operations. PRONTO-Xi, the company’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, offers functionality for effective manufacturing, sales, and inventory management. Discover how Pronto’s ERP offers Hyne an integrated view of timber operations.
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IT service delivery departments today need to keep spending under control without compromising service quality—running a very tight technical and operational ship is vital. Achieving this involves at least three components of application management. Find out what they are, and how you can reduce costs and maximize staff productivity while managing the change process for the Oracle E-Business Suite.
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In hard economic times, IT organizations can maintain operational excellence and sustain service quality while still reducing costs. Achieving this objective involves at least three aspects of application management: managing change, managing technical performance, and managing user performance. Learn more about managing the change process in your PeopleSoft environment, and the value of an integrated change solution.
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Embarking on an operational excellence strategy should not be undertaken lightly. As with most company-wide initiatives, success requires planning, commitment, measurement, and continuous follow-up. Find out what senior executives from around the world think about how to achieve operational excellence, and the questions you need to ask to develop a winning operations strategy and achieve sustained growth.
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Despite the consensus that warehouse management systems (WMS) offer many benefits, getting approval for a new system is challenging. You need to get key decision makers in operations, IT, and finance—as well as the executive team and the board of directors—to see value in the proposed WMS. But how can you improve your chances of getting management approval? Discover five strategies for information-gathering and approval.
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Perimeter computer-room air handlers and central air-handling units have been used to cool data centers since the launch of the mainframe. But as rack power grew, air delivery and heat removal challenges appeared. Row-based designs address issues of proper heat removal and cold air supply—and bring energy-efficiency advantages. Learn more about row-based solutions and the benefits they can deliver to your data center.
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Increased global competition and rising costs place continued pressure on all midsize companies to optimize resources, meet tighter delivery schedules, and improve overall responsiveness. When looking at the pressures driving the top performers of midsize companies, however, the story is different. Find out why—and how these drivers affect the enterprise resource planning (ERP) strategies of these best-in-class companies.
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Within large companies, there are an increasing number of activities and people to manage, including suppliers and third-party agencies. These activities are often supported by underdeveloped IT systems—but marketing is always “too busy” with campaigns, web content, and other activities to do anything about it. Learn how marketing resource management systems can help manage marketing activity and accountability.
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Virtual worlds where customers can connect and share information are another channel through which marketers can improve the customer experience. Social networks can help you gain customer input on product and service development—and, of course, to reinforce brand messaging. Learn the four steps you can take to improve your customer experience by integrating online, off-line, and branding efforts via social networking.
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People—that is, talent—are at the heart of any strategy to master the business challenges of high-tech companies. For best results, human resources (HR) organizations must transform from taking the role of service provider to that of strategic business partner. Find out about the four imperatives a successful HR organization must address in order to develop a competitive HR strategy and win the war for talent.
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North American process manufacturers face increasing challenges related to heightened security, pricing pressures, global competition, and rising costs. Thus, continuous improvement of processes is imperative to remaining competitive. How close is your company to world-class? And how focused are you on process improvement? Find out how get started on a process improvement strategy that will have long-term benefits.
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Decision making is at the core of all business activity, as executives set strategy and manage operations by weighing a vast array of factors to arrive at the desired balance of risk and reward. But enormous growth in a company’s size and operations adds complexity to decision-making processes. Learn about the five ingredients of good decision making, according to the responses of 154 executives in a global survey.
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To close the gap between strategy, risk, and execution, companies need to build strategic alignment across all aspects of the business. Learn how your company can benefit from deploying strategy management software as part of a larger corporate performance management solution—encompassing business planning and consolidation, profitability and cost management, spend analytics, and governance, risk, and compliance.
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Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems now support many organizations’ most important business processes, and house their most sensitive corporate data. As a result, senior management needs to fully understand both the timing and project plan before proceeding with any ERP upgrade. Learn how to plan and manage your next ERP upgrade project, and develop an overall corporate strategy for maintaining your ERP system.
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Relevant to the current economic recession, find out about key challenges faced by the retail industry, such as multichannel integration. Get an introduction to a process excellence and governance approach specific to retail, for radical cost reduction and organizational agility and visibility. You’ll also find a case study about business performance management (BPM) in the food and beverage industry.
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Today’s executives have more challenges and concerns than ever, from compliance to use of technology. To thrive and ultimately excel within a competitive landscape, an organization must have a technology framework capable of meeting today’s marketplace requirements while positioning the company for future growth and challenges. Find out how to better leverage technology investments and become a best-run business.
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Customer buying decisions are often affected by “inspiration”—an emotional state that separates a casual browser from an engaged customer. Successful retail merchandisers select products and promote them in ways that lure prospects into the selling environment. But what are the elements of an ideal selling environment? How can you create one? And how can you tell if it’s working? Learn more about how to inspire customers.
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In the face of increasing global competition, a retail company can remain visible only if it provides a differentiated shopping experience for customers. The majority of retailers, however, are still struggling with inadequate technology and the difficulty of hiring and training competent in-store salespeople. Discover the strategies other retailers are using to anticipate customer needs and improve customer satisfaction.
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Want to know more about distributed agile best practices for software development projects? Find out about the challenges and lessons learned from this implementation of distributed agile for teams distributed across US, Europe, and India. Discover how this large, globally distributed project for a large telecom vendor realized such benefits as better collaboration, higher quality product, and on-time delivery.
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Today, business is driven to change per customers’ needs, and IT organizations must be strategic partners with the lines of business. Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practices are gaining popularity as one way to manage change. However, implementing ITIL best practices in an IT organization is not without challenges. Learn about the approaches that can be used for successful ITIL implementation.
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The strength of a company can be traced to the value of its brands. Brand marketing managers seek to create and develop brand value by converting consumer insights into consumer loyalty. How can you overcome the challenge of developing effective marketing campaigns that convert consumer information into revenue and profit? Leverage the value of your brand with an integrated approach to brand management. Find out how.
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In a global survey of senior managers in various functions from 17 industries, 61 percent say IT’s primary mission today is that of reducing costs and boosting productivity. But the IT mission is changing: nearly 70 percent of the same executives say that within three years IT’s main role will be to enable revenue growth. Learn more about how this shift is expected to happen, and how to manage it in your organization.
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Best practices in technology can help manufacturers of complex products and equipment get their offerings to market more quickly and profitably by enabling them to become more cost effective and efficient. But there are still challenges to be overcome, due to product life cycle complexity. Discover the best practices that can help you make the product and make it right, on time, and within budget—while making a profit.
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Customer relationship management (CRM) strategies—whether new to a company or already installed—can make some critical differences that help a company survive economic setbacks. Though you might be tempted to put off a software installation project due to tight economic conditions, you should include a CRM strategy as an important component of your plan to return to—or maintain—economic health. Find out why.
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The Delphi technique—drawing wise counsel from senior and experienced software developers—can help you prepare estimates for software development projects. With this method of software estimation, project specifications are given to a few experts, depending on their availability. Learn about the essential steps involved in this software estimation methodology for more accurate estimates of software development effort.
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In the corporate world, the word “excellence” is used a lot, but what does it really mean? One way to answer that question is to examine what companies that are considered to be excellent have in common. Learn the common characteristics that allow excellent companies to lead in their markets while continuing to innovate, and find out how your company can measure, achieve, and sustain organizational excellence.
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In the wake of the subprime meltdown, many financial services firms are coping with huge write-downs and high market volatility by cutting staff and budgets. But even in uncertain times, smart financial firms can find ways to grow. Learn how you can use customer-centric strategies and customer relationship management (CRM) tools to maximize the value and loyalty of your client base and gain insight into new opportunities.
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It’s no secret that winning and retaining customers is the key to growth and success. But that’s no small feat, with ever-increasing customer demands, as well as the difficulty of implementing and enforcing processes to support your interactions with prospects, customers, and partners. Eight proven customer relationship management (CRM) best practices can help you create a customer retention strategy. Learn more.
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Most businesses are impacted by the slow economy, but recessions and economic slowdowns don’t last forever. Smart companies will be able to manage the challenges and emerge stronger and more vital for the experience. Discover how business process automation, a renewed focus on customer service, new tax opportunities, and other best practices can help your company shine in these tough economic times.
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By automating and optimizing business processes, companies gain the efficiency, clarity, and flexibility they need to support the creative development of products and services. Employees in such an environment spend less time on mundane business tasks, focusing instead on generating new ideas and innovative products. Learn how integrated software solutions can help you invest and innovate to sustain your company’s growth.
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System planning is the Achilles’ heel of a data center physical infrastructure project. Planning mistakes can propagate through later deployment phases, resulting in delays, cost overruns, wasted time, and a compromised system. These troubles can be eliminated by viewing system planning as a data flow model, with sequenced tasks that progressively transform and refine data from initial concept to final design. Learn more.
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In data center design projects, flawed management frequently leads to delays, expense, and frustration. Effective project management requires well-defined responsibilities for every manager, tight coordination among suppliers, well-defined procedures for managing change, and consistent terminology. Learn how enforcing these requirements can help your company achieve an efficient process with a predictable outcome.
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For today’s small to medium manufacturers, increasing the bottom line while optimizing efficiency poses an increasingly difficult challenge, especially in our current economic crisis. This, coupled with competition in a global environment, puts manufacturers in a tight spot. Discover the key challenges facing small to medium manufacturers, and the on-demand solutions you can leverage to sustain and win business.
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Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are facing new challenges and opportunities. By linking people, processes, and workflows from inside and outside your company, business management software can help you drive success. Learn about key drivers in the “extended enterprise vision” strategy and how to integrate newer concepts, such as service-oriented architecture (SOA) and Web 2.0 capabilities, with existing applications.
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Microsoft recently researched the experience of nearly 200 companies with more than 250 PCs that have deployed one or more of the applications in the Microsoft Dynamics line of business management solutions. Among these companies, a common issue was growth via mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Find out about the pain points, and how Microsoft Dynamics can help support growth via M&A to drive business success.
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Businesses of all sizes can benefit from implementing customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. And no matter the size of your business, you must also know how to successfully implement best practices in CRM. Learn about three essential steps to preparing for CRM success: establish project leadership, create an implementation road map, and work with staff to facilitate user adoption and positive change.
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Organizations preparing to meet globalization head on face a complex set of business and technology challenges—from the supply chain complexity of entering new markets to the need for global visibility and standardized business processes. Learn how globally implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and integrated business processes are helping companies exploit new markets and lower manufacturing costs.
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Demand for knowledge workers is building even as their experience, skills, and abilities are in ever shorter supply. And, the needs of this diverse talent pool are shifting. Rather than focusing on acquisition and retention, you should focus instead on what employees care most about. Discover strategies that enable you not only to hire the best talent, but to develop it by connecting employees to what matters to them.
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Chief financial officers (CFOs) are moving beyond administrative and transactional tasks and becoming catalysts to improve business performance. In collaboration with business units, they are developing the metrics and data required to track and meet business goals. Find out how they’re capturing and disseminating the information needed to make operating and management decisions, and provide decision support to finance.
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With increased mergers and acquisitions at the global level, organizations have started recognizing the benefits of upgrading to a modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform and a service-oriented architecture (SOA). Learn how different approaches to ERP system and architecture upgrades can help your company drive down costs, raise employee productivity, and produce meaningful business process improvement.
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Compliance with regional and international standards, such as the Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) or Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directives, has made it more complicated for companies to deliver innovative products to customers. Learn how focusing on product innovation, data integration, and process optimization can help your company satisfy customer needs while meeting compliance standards.
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Has your organization truly embraced the message of the incident management process, as part of the practices recommended in the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)? If your efforts have centered on the service desk, then you may be missing out on a lot of what incident management in particular and ITIL in general can offer. Learn more about the core principles of ITIL, and how you can use them to improve service management.
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Companies can reduce operating costs and improve the ways they do business by using customer relationship management (CRM) systems that support real-time decision making. But you must ensure you deploy applications that can leverage industry best practices while retaining the competitive differentiation from a well-honed business process and strategy. Learn about the benefits of using CRM with industry best practices.
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The common perception is that top-tier enterprise software takes years to implement. This is true for more complex solutions. But other applications, when combined with effective project management by capable professionals, can be rolled out rapidly when it counts—like after a merger or acquisition. Get tips for a speedy enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation, from a company that lived to tell the tale.
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As companies come to grips with current fiscal realities, choices may result more from reaction than the use of sound judgment. Removing vital resources and reducing services can create an even lower return on investment (ROI) than existed before downsizing. Outsourcing may offer a solution. Learn about the effects that the present financial situation will have on the outsourcing community, including buyers and suppliers.
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As countries frequently increase and revise border security protocols, participating in global trade has become increasingly complex. Compliance and supply chain managers can no longer solely rely on personal knowledge and paper-based processes to effectively plan and manage global trade. You must have real-time access to critical trade information and the ability to automate global trade management processes. Learn more.
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Midsize companies engaged in manufacturing, trade, or services need innovative solutions they can implement quickly to help them manage changing customer demands, government regulations, and market requirements. Online tools can speed the configuration, control costs and scope, and tailor the solution to your company—and you’ll have the agility and support you need to grow, while staying within budget. Find out how.
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A failed software implementation can cost companies millions in wasted time and money. To ensure your software selection project isn’t a sorry statistic, use the right metrics to gauge your success. Time, budget, and functionality aren’t enough--focus your efforts on requirements analysis and definition. Take measures to ensure your software meets your needs, and discover how to perform accurate requirements analysis.
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Chief information officers (CIOs) must provide timely, accurate, and consistent enterprise-wide information, to support business goals and stay competitive. But with data in multiple disparate applications, this is a challenge. Learn best practices for developing an information management strategy that can help you gain a comprehensive view of data and processes—to enable real-time visibility and better decision making.
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Midsize businesses face the same security threats as larger companies, and likewise they must comply with the same regulations. But, their security budgets are smaller. The good news is that IT security systems don’t have to be expensive. Learn about the top three security problems, how to develop security policies using integrated security solutions, and how to do vulnerability assessment with low-cost security tools.
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Many companies consider customer relationship management (CRM) the new frontier in marketing. But many are also trying to adapt new CRM applications, or to choose systems that best align with their business needs. But some companies have stumbled and been forced to re-evaluate their strategies to avoid repeat mistakes. Read about six problem areas in CRM software strategy and learn from others’ mistakes, not your own.
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Recent EquaTerra market research finds a consensus among western business leaders that increased globalization is inevitable—and that it will generally be beneficial. Quickly and efficiently leveraging opportunities created by globalization is the best way to avoid being overwhelmed by its challenges. Learn how to compare buyer and service provider data and get insight into developing a responsive global strategy.
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Here's an all-too typical scenario. Management at a multinational company decides to implement a standardized enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. Everyone expects to cut costs and improve core end-to-end processes. But 13 months later, vital key performance indicators (KPIs) don’t improve as planned. Discover how a company focused on user performance to bring its ERP reality back into alignment with its vision.
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Ping Identity provides software for the computer security and identity management industry. Ping wanted to facilitate rapid, high-end development and accelerate time to market for its leading Web security product. When its first outsourcing choice didn’t offer enough Agile development expertise, Ping found another solution that helped reduce costs by 46 percent and doubled in-house performance in key areas. Learn more.
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The requirements of the engineer-to-order (ETO) environment create special challenges for capital equipment manufacturers. Traditional material requirements planning (MRP) techniques don’t account for these manufacturers’ needs. Before you invest in manufacturing software, you should carefully consider 10 questions to ensure that software vendors are focused on your business and can deliver the solution you need.
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Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can facilitate business improvements. But it can also create new challenges, including obsolete technology, lack of flexibility, and high support costs, to name a few. There’s a way to keep your current ERP system while extending its capabilities to remote manufacturing sites, service centers, and supply chain partners: a service-oriented architecture (SOA) approach. Learn more.
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A fast-growing robotics product manufacturer needed to track an extremely large inventory of individual products. A daily expanding product line presented even greater hurdles for inventory management, and meeting on-time delivery goals. The company’s old enterprise resource planning (ERP) system wasn’t keeping up, so the company moved to a system that allows more options for product customization and more. Learn how.
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Because “Generation Y” will soon make up the bulk of the workforce, companies need to evolve their human resources (HR) programs and services to deliver to Gen Y, and focus on recruiting and retaining this next generation of workers. For HR programs to be successful, you need to know the issues surrounding Gen Y in the workplace, including why Gen Y behaves differently from Generation X and the Baby Boomers. Learn more.
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The one thing you can count on today in business is change, whether it’s customers, business models, or the pace of business. To manage change, companies rely on technology. But the most effective management control and optimization of company performance can be achieved only if you have the right systems. Discover how an integrated system can help you manage data and make better decisions, for a more successful company.
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Growing demands on storage management system requirements can run counter to your need to lower costs. With Database 10g, Oracle introduced new features that can simplify database storage management to offer significant savings in both deployment cost and ongoing management overhead. Find out about best practices for deploying Oracle with Pillar’s Axiom storage system, with benefits to performance and management.
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Companies often overlook telesales as a vital source of core revenue. In fact, telesales can be a major driver of software sales and can make an impact far more quickly than field-based enterprise selling. Find out how IT telesales can assist with revenue growth, discover the keys to improving your IT telesales success, and learn why telesales usually involves identifying smaller, more product-focused opportunity.
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When your quality control plan is complex because there are many features to control—and it involves many people—you need to pay special attention to your quality control process. Also, a complex plan places high demands on your software solution. Discover how an online integrated factory information system can work across production, job tracking, spoilage, and quality to support all of your quality control processes.
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Escalating health fears, new global policies, and a highly competitive market means that traceability is an issue food and beverage companies cannot afford to ignore. All this has led to a need for information on quality and food safety that companies must live up to. Explore the key issues surrounding traceability in the food and beverage industry, and find out why you might need to consider a new traceability system.
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The results of a recent industry survey shed light on the latest trends, challenges, and solutions in software product development for 2008. If you are involved in the planning and development of products, software applications, or systems, this report can help you gain insight into the biggest challenges in innovation, the top barriers to success, which metrics matter most when measuring success, and more.
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In today’s changing, competitive world, companies must adopt a continuous improvement methodology to support sustainable and profitable business models. Processes must be seen as a lever for analyzing and optimizing the way firms works. Before you initiate any project involving process automation and management, discover five key points that can help you make continuous improvements in the life cycles of your processes.
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En el presente documento no vamos a hablar de los múltiples beneficios que aporta la gestión y automatización de procesos, ni de la importancia que tiene para mejorar la competitividad y productividad empresarial, ni de suites o aplicaciones de software, sino de las claves genéricas que deben tener en cuenta todas aquellas organizaciones, de cualquier sector, que se embarquen en un proyecto de mejora de procesos de negocio.
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IT organizations struggle with the challenges of shrinking budgets, ever-changing technology, compliance pressures, and more. For greater efficiency, many IT organizations are turning to information technology service management (ITSM) to help improve processes. But there’s still too much focus on technology and not enough on business outcomes. Learn key strategies for changing your approach to delivering IT services.
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Customers and users see the value of IT services only after they’re in operation. Unfortunately, preparation and due diligence doesn’t always mean that you end up providing the IT services those users are expecting. With the automotive industry used as an analogy, get key tips on how to better define and document IT operations design and transition—so ultimately, your customers and users get the services they demand.
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Financial services organizations are always looking for ways to improve business processes to implement tighter control—and improve the bottom line. But finding new ways to boost efficiency is challenging. One strategy for success is to improve the use and allocation of resources in order to eliminate errors from duplicate data entry. Discover more about this strategy and two others, as well as how they can benefit you.
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An estimated two-thirds of IT projects aren’t completed on time or budget, while 15 percent are cancelled entirely. But your IT project doesn’t have to be a gamble. By knowing the most common causes of project failure, your company increases the potential for a successful project outcome. Learn more about how inadequate initial project planning can be one of your greatest obstacles to success—and how you can overcome it.
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Software as a service (SaaS) is known for its relative speed to deployment and low up-front cost. Less well known are the business advantages of SaaS for enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, especially for small and midsized businesses. Learn how a fully integrated SaaS solution can help you improve your business operations, as well as better meet the challenges of growth, competition, and regulatory compliance.
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Companies in the Americas should lead the world in growth through operational excellence—but they don’t. A 2008 survey shows that less than half promote insight into operations by investing in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) software. Companies in the Americas also lag behind Asia-Pacific firms in revenue growth and customer satisfaction. Read more of the survey results.
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A residential and commercial junk removal company with a toll-free call service was using an industry-specific customer relationship management (CRM) solution that couldn’t be customized. The company needed a CRM system that could capture, share, and use customer data specific to its operations, to acquire and retain more customers. Discover how the hosted CRM solution helps ensure business continuity and other benefits.
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The latest Pulse surveys reflect business process outsourcing (BPO) and information technology outsourcing (ITO) market activity during the first quarter of 2008 and projections for the future. If you’re considering BPO or ITO, the surveys’ results can inform you on demand and buying patterns, deal scope, sales cycles and ramp-up time, as well as outsourcing’s role in making human resources more strategic. Learn more.
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In a world with few constants, sustaining growth and outpacing competition are key concerns for just about every company, regardless of industry, geography, or size. Globalization puts pressure on companies to find the best talent and use best practices. Discover the corporate attitudes to the risks and opportunities of global competition—and how you can overcome the challenges of outsourcing your business processes.
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SumTotal Systems recently surveyed 10,000 directors of training from primarily US-based companies to learn how they’re pushing outside their corporate walls to their partners and customers. Over 35 percent are currently training customers and partners with learning management systems (LMSs). Find out why they’re using LMS functionality to help drive their business globally while maintaining performance standards.
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IFS co-founder Ulf Stern and senior advisor Anders Wilhelmsson discuss how project management functionality that is tightly integrated with enterprise asset management (EAM) and asset lifecycle management (ALM) tools is essential to executives of asset-intensive industries. Lacking this integration, valuable asset data is lost and asset utilization cannot be maximized.
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Small and medium businesses (SMBs) often don’t know how to engage and manage outsourcing initiatives. Both outsourcing provider and seeker should together address several questions when starting a project to outsource business or technology processes. What’s the cost benefit? What are the risks involved? Find out the customer and the vendor perspectives, and how to achieve cost savings and service-level improvements.
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Software-as-a-service (SaaS), also called on-demand software, can be a convenient and profitable business model for vendors. And for clients, SaaS can provide greater processing efficiencies than a company’s own internal systems. As a result, human resources, customer relationship management, or accounting process costs decrease when handled by an SaaS vendor. Learn about the benefits—but also the challenges—of SaaS.
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Of all the points that you should focus on when planning ISO 9001 standards projects, corrective action and root cause analysis should rise to the top of your priorities list. Learn how to improve your approach to ISO 9001, how to implement a system that can help you ensure that your approach is feasible and effective, and about the one tool that you need help ensure your company becomes ISO 9001 2000 certified.
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If you’ve already implemented Sage Saleslogix for your customer relationship management (CRM) process and CRM analytics needs, this guidebook can help you achieve more value. And if you’re considering Saleslogix for your new CRM solution, you’ll learn best practices, including how to integrate and customize; how to move from sales to support, service, and marketing; and how to think strategically about training.
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No doubt about it: the project manager is essential for the successful completion of any project. But supporting the project manager—and the goal of reaching the target within the defined time and budget frame—is a solid project management system. Discover the vital elements of project planning and management, and how you can optimize communication by standardizing information formats in a project management system.
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Great service is the number one reason customers are loyal and recommend companies to friends and colleagues. But on the flip side, 80 percent of customers say they stop doing business with a company because of a bad service experience—and that they’ll never do business with the company again. Find out how you can gain the essential service capabilities, both online and at the service center, to keep your customers loyal.
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When choosing a change management tool for your business environment, you need to consider several important factors. First is the number of database platforms in your data center, and whether to get a solution that supports multiple platforms. Find out the other factors, and how the right tool can reduce training and software costs, increase productivity, and ensure database availability, security, and performance.
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Customer relationship management (CRM) solutions can help you achieve success by managing your company’s customer-facing processes and implementing a customer-centric vision. But to make the most of CRM’s benefits, you should weigh and consider the options by answering key questions about your processes and CRM solutions’ capabilities. Find out key CRM principles, and how to best mitigate the cost of CRM implementation.
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Increasingly, success depends not only on how fast manufacturers can act, but how fast they can react—and the effectiveness of the actions they take. But fast and effective reactions depend on having the information you need when you need it. Is your response management strategy efficient enough? Do you have enough control over key supply chain processes? Find out how to better manage your response to volatile markets.
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Research in Motion, maker of the BlackBerry, had a rapidly expanding customer base and shortened product life cycles. This led the company to add more contract manufacturers to its supply chain, meaning more complex decisions had to be made in less time. To stay competitive, the company implemented response management technology. Learn more about the company’s rapid growth and the software that helped make it possible.
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Customer and commercial demands are changing the way manufacturers manage their positions in the supply chain. The financial impact on a company that is unable to respond to change can be crippling, especially in a global market. Learn about the benefits of using a response management process, so you can access live data from multiple systems across various locations—for more intelligent and empowered decision making.
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Progressive companies are discovering that they can optimize processes and assets to make the best use of resources, reduce negative impact on the environment, and strengthen business results—all at the same time. Improving enterprise asset management (EAM) processes provides opportunities for you to create less waste, reduce resource use, and decrease emissions. Find out how you can take advantage of EAM’s benefits.
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Although IT outsourcing can result in cost savings of up to 60 percent, you’re not as likely to see that return if you don’t have an offshore development center (ODC). This team of programmers and developers, hand picked to complement your skill-set and culture, works on your behalf at the service provider’s site, and can be a seamless extension of your IT department. Learn more about the benefits of setting up an ODC.
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Why bother measuring your recruiting performance? The simple answer is, if you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it. Unfortunately, human resources (HR) is great at working with people, but not always so successful at driving strategic value. Turn touchy-feely comments like “our hiring managers are very happy” into hard metrics, and accurately measure your recruiting performance by following a simple six-step process.
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Even the best “best-of-breed” enterprise resource planning systems don’t give business stakeholders enough real-time visibility. And without that, you can’t ensure performance improvements. Are employees using the right transactions for business processes? Are employees efficient, or are they making huge errors? Help identify inefficiencies in your company with an end-user experience and performance management solution.
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The impact of globalization on human resources (HR) functions shouldn’t be ignored. When each function, such as maintaining a database or determining compensation, must be managed on a global scale, the complexities are vast. Learn about the myths and misconceptions that might be keeping your HR team from embracing new technology—and how HR can be your strategic partner in making your company a global competitor.
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Software developers need a powerful tool to control and plan the quality of their software applications. With a solution that offers project analysis, testing, and bug administration, you have options that can help increase the quality of your software products. Read about a software test tool that has administrative functions to help you more effectively plan, control, and evaluate your software as it’s developed.
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Georg Fischer, a global provider of fluid-handling systems, was using a simple database to manage customer contact information. But the company couldn’t effectively track the progress of customer relationships, opportunities, and projects, and so key data was often lost. By implementing an integrated enterprise application, the company now has centralized customer contact information, and improved customer relationships.
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Oil and gas industry leader MODEC was already using Microsoft Dynamics SL for core financial activities. But as the company faced rapid growth, it began to look at how the technology could be used to improve other vital business processes. Discover how MODEC worked with the NexTec Group to hone those processes, identify areas for improvement, and propose and direct the technology initiatives to effect the needed changes.
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With so many customer relationship management (CRM) marketing systems to choose from, sales managers may be overwhelmed when selecting potential vendors, resellers, and other value-added providers. Industry experts suggest you should focus on five critical factors when evaluating marketing automation systems, starting with scope of service. Discover how these factors can reduce the time and complexity of choosing CRM.
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Web 2.0 and social networking tools and trends are having a huge impact on business today. But to realize the benefits of social networking, you need to understand the roles and expectations of your customers, and how to use those tools to position your company appropriately. Get tips on how to empower your customer engagement with Web 2.0 and customer relationship management (CRM) 2.0 social networking tools.
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The basic spreadsheet and accounting programs you’ve relied on ’til now won’t help your growing business eliminate decision-making bottlenecks, reduce IT costs, increase productivity, or improve the customer experience. To do all that requires an enterprise-wide, integrated software system. Learn how an integrated system can help take your business to the next level, and how to ensure you get the right system for you.
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Statistics show that nearly one-fifth of IT projects make it to the finish line—so project planners need to be aware of the primary factors that can ruin a project, and how to prevent them from happening. One of the biggest obstacles is poor team communication, even when you have the best talent and a good work environment. Learn about the top three techniques that can help you get your people working together as a team.
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An online American bank, providing various financial services, needed to replace its legacy script-driven batch job processes with a job scheduling solution that could handle the bank’s growth. The bank’s IT team, however, faced two major hurdles affecting growth: both batch job processes and script-writing were manual and inefficient. A job management solution helped the bank achieve new levels of growth. Learn how.
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Simulation software can give you valuable insights into the forecasted outcomes of your business processes and decision making. But if you don’t have the type of simulation software than can develop and analyze the types of models made for your particular industry or service offering, you won’t get insights that really help. With this concise list, learn about the functions of three types of computer simulation software.
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Successful strategic planning relies on your ability to develop and evaluate alternative strategies to identify the most viable approach. But when the outcomes are dependent on complex systems that are difficult to predict, you might conclude that the unknowns are insurmountable. Avoid making decisions based on intuition—develop models using computer simulation for clearer pictures of the outcomes of your strategies.
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To promote fast growth, small businesses often sacrifice process control for creativity. But sooner or later, unstructured creativity compounded by fast growth leads to the inability to make fact-based business decisions. Learn about four steps to developing a business strategy that can help you run your business more effectively by applying better control over your cost structure, minimizing risk, and anticipating change.
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Mine evaluation studies, including those that support mine water management or environmental compliance, are rife with challenges. The biggest: to quantitatively evaluate alternative approaches for completing projects, and to identify and manage associated risks. Models must be accurate, and yet still take uncertainty into account. Learn how a simulation tool can you help forecast the behavior of complex mining systems.
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Contrary to popular belief, requirements discovery and elicitation are processes—not deliverables. And in fact, companies that focus on both the process and the deliverables of requirements are far more successful than those that focus on documentation quality alone. After all, it’s the quality of the document development process that creates an economic advantage. Find out what you can do for immediate and tangible benefits.
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According to an IAG survey, 70 percent of companies lack the fundamental competencies within business requirements discovery to consistently bring in projects on time and on budget. Why do so many fall short in properly diagnosing their requirements failures? Discover how placing a greater focus on the combined aspects of business requirements—people, process, and tools—can provide better project outcomes.
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Organizations need to control who has access to enterprise resources, what level of access individuals have, and who is authorized to grant access. But you may not know that identity management involves more than your organization s operations side—you must also align your infrastructure to maximize security. Find out key considerations and best practices for developing a user provisioning and access management strategy.
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Some managers have concluded that strategic planning is nothing more than an exercise in futility, to be taken out and dusted off at annual meetings. However, strategic planning can still help direct your company and improve earnings. The trick is strategizing well—which means having all the information you need, when you need it. Find out how to hone your competitive edge with integrated business planning capabilities.
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Choosing a business phone system requires more than just a comparison of feature lists and usage plans. If you want the best business phone solution for your company, you need to ask the right questions about reliability, scalability, and security that go far beyond the perfunctory. Not sure exactly what to ask? Consider this list of questions in case communication with your phone system vendors starts to break down.
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Although information technology service management (ITSM) is not a new discipline, many organizations have yet to adopt it as a part of their IT service improvement strategy. To be successful, businesses must start by building a custom road map. Read about how focusing on long-term, strategic objectives—including a realized return on investment (ROI)—can greatly improve your IT service delivery and support.
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In the public sector, where it’s often more about process than the business case, recompeting a current outsourcing relationship doesn’t always make the most sense for ensuring continued value. Due to the cost and time investment in the recompete process, it can often cause more problems than solutions. In many cases, outsourcing agreements simply need to be updated to meet changing business requirements. Find out how.
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In the past 10 years, business process and IT outsourcing markets have become globalized, raising some key issues for outsourcing buyers. How can you develop a service delivery model for your business that fully exploits global sourcing opportunities while supporting overall corporate strategies, goals, and principles? By developing a set of integrated capabilities and processes as part of your core competency.
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Empirical evidence demonstrates that the benefits of a distributed IT services model are considerable—yet many companies still resist the change. If IT professionals took the time to fully understand the positive impact of distributed services models on both cost and value, they’d be better equipped to fight organizational resistance and develop a road map for successful change. Find out how you can build yours today.
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A contact center is a mission-critical component of any organization’s operations—regardless of who they service. Yet stakeholders often remain dissatisfied with its performance. In the past, contact centers benefited from advances in information and technologies, yet many companies struggled to determine how they could take advantage of these benefits. Find out how embracing both old and new technologies today can work.
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Senior finance executives in all industries recognize the long-term benefits of transaction-processing automation on resource allocation. Transaction automation frees time and resources that can be allocated for decision support and financial planning and analysis. The result: sustained, profitable top-line growth and risk reduction. Find out other benefits of improving your back-office processes through automation.
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To effectively serve their customers, operations managers need to have visibility as well as control of the delivery and quality of their outsourced components. And because supply chain management is such a critical part of the manufacturing process, it’s important to have the right tools to optimize performance. Find out how real-time collaborative manufacturing is now helping to solve some key manufacturing problems.
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In today’s Internet-connected global economy, the market doesn’t allow for companies to sit back and relax into a comfortable niche. Customer loyalty is ever harder to maintain, and you risk losing your business to competition if you can’t respond quickly to market change. Before you lose any more ground, find out how to replace your disconnected, redundant business processes with flexible and efficient ones integrated by IT.
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Service excellence alone is not enough to ensure future growth and profitability in today’s challenging market. Streamlining IT processes is essential to your business workflow. Whatever your professional services software needs—from customer relationship management (CRM) to human capital management—it’s time to learn your lessons: find out key strategies and best practices that can help your company grow profitably.
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Aligning your business plans with your method of execution requires more than a peek at financial metrics. Initiatives, tasks, people, and metrics must be aligned with corporate goals. Find out how strategy management software, alone or as part of a performance management solution, can provide clear visual links between individual initiatives and broader goals, and ultimately enhance your business’s overall performance.
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You’re planning to upgrade your business intelligence (BI) solution and can’t wait for implementation. But are you sure of how to take advantage of its key value drivers, or which functionalities are best for your organization? And can you anticipate—and minimize—implementation risks? Find out how an upgrade assessment done by experienced professionals can help you develop a proven upgrade plan and lower associated costs.
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The rules for success in today’s fiercely competitive market are constantly changing. Through service delivery innovation, a company can differentiate itself. But how do you change your service delivery methods to keep existing clients and entice new ones? A networked organization is one of six characteristics of successful service delivery innovation. Find out how you can put them into practice and attain the benefits.
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Changing business practices, especially those that consolidate business and IT functions, requires careful research and decision making. For companies needing to move beyond traditional enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, enterprise service applications (ESA) can help reduce the complexity of having disparate IT systems. Find out about the benefits of ESA and how it can help you achieve operational excellence.
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Euromadi was looking to automate its business processes and increase effectiveness. With hundreds of suppliers all over the world, it needed a system that could help manage the relationships of more than 220 associate companies. By integrating business process management (BPM) with an enterprise content management (ECM) system, Euromadi has increased productivity and reduced data input and maintenance by 30 percent.
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Customer relationship management (CRM) is being adopted by businesses worldwide. But the key question for many executives as they create their CRM strategy: how can they gain strategic advantage if their competitors are implementing these same CRM systems? The answer: through integration. Find out how leveraging your existing information assets can turn CRM from a tactical project into a key strategic initiative.
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Sant Joan de Déu Hospital is one of the most important hospitals in Spain, and specializes in pediatrics and women’s medicine. Because of its status, it needed to find a way to automate its internal processes and develop a corporate portal for patients and health professionals. Since deploying a business process management (BPM) solution, Sant Joan has increased accessibility and created autonomy within its departments.
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To address evolving market demands, companies must take new approaches to marketing activities and integrate all company functions. Customer relationship management (CRM) can empower your marketing organization to support growth and demonstrate value to customers. Find out six factors that can allow your company’s marketing team to make intelligent decisions and drive effective end-to-end marketing processes.
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Canadian manufacturers are getting squeezed. Challenged by a rising Canadian dollar, forced to hold the line on prices in the US market, pressured by customer demand for lower prices, better quality, and quicker service, these manufacturers need a way to retain their competitive edge and increase bottom-line profitability. Find out why product data management (PDM) is a solution you can turn to in these challenging times.
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Construction companies often use a combination of outdated, paper-based, and software tools to manage their projects—which puts them at a severe disadvantage. Online project management, however, can provide you with a more efficient method to manage projects. Find out why these businesses are shifting to owner-centric solutions, and discover what main factors you should consider before implementing a web-based tool.
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Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) helps ensure that projects are delivered on time and within budget, and creates a system for improving accountability. Once KPIs are established, there needs to be a way to easily track this data—otherwise it will become an arduous task that may be done improperly. Learn how leveraging integrated project management software can help drive your business process improvements.
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The competitive nature of the financial services industry today and the changing landscape of the customer approach to investing puts an onus on suppliers to consider how well they are dealing with customers’ business transactions. In order to provide better customer service—while at the same time improving operations—these organizations must invest in a system that allows real-time visibility of the entire process.
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The divide between strategy development and strategy execution can be overcome by creating balanced scorecards. Prioritize your objectives to determine which are most critical. Then cascade objectives and metrics down and across the organization, creating linked and related—but not identical—scorecards for each critical area. These and five other tips for scorecarding success will move you in the right direction.
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It’s not enough to develop a strategy for your enterprise; real success comes from effective execution of that strategy. Prioritization, improvement, and control are the key steps involved in enterprise strategy execution. But before leaping right into deployment, you might need a few more details. Learn how planning your objectives and fixing performance gaps gives you control of improvement gains—now and in the future.
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Implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system—even for small to medium businesses (SMBs)—is a smart move. But depending on the type of business, there can be many different processes to integrate—making it difficult to know what type of system to choose. For growing project-based companies faced with the challenge of managing many complex projects, the ideal ERP system should be customizable yet scalable.
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Web analytics has never been an exact science—which can make the process extremely frustrating. How can you be 100 percent certain that the data you’re working with is always accurate? To deal with this and many other questions that will arise, businesses must gain a better understanding of how well their analytics tools work with their existing data integration solutions, and how using testing platforms will help.
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Read this white paper to learn about the areas of potential legal liability and exposure that arise not only through the purely internal activities of your employees, but when inappropriate material makes its way into the corporate e-environment from the outside—and learn about the legal exposure that may arise when you permit employees to be exposed to spam containing pornographic or other inappropriate content.
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Joshen Paper & Packaging needed to update its enterprise resource planning (ERP) distribution system. Joshen partnered with Vormittag Associates Inc. (VAI) and found a solution that consolidates its financial reporting and provides its sales team with real-time inventory information access. The result: faster inventory turnaround and order fulfillment—and to date, about 100 new clients in its customer base.
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As pressure increases to reduce costs and improve customer service, many companies are outsourcing outside the US. Although India and Malaysia are the least expensive options, companies that want to build strong long-term partnerships with a call center—while taking quality, political climate, and cost into consideration—should look north of the border. Canada builds a solid case for any company’s outsourcing dollars.
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Small to medium businesses (SMBs) often face the same challenges as large businesses—just on a smaller scale. One such challenge is finding a business solution that manages expansion and addresses complex reporting and compliance issues. Many SMBs are now adopting enterprise performance management (EPM) solutions—complete with tools to help them meet the current and future needs of their growing business.
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In any organization, people remain one of the largest sources of value when it comes to business processes. But providing them with tools that can be easily accessed and used has its challenges. As we move into the era of service-oriented architecture (SOA), portal and collaboration software now delivers the essential people-focused capabilities businesses need, while adding significant value to the organization.
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Industry today demands more quality of manufacturers, and as such, ISO 9001—the yardstick by which quality products and services are measured—is forcing more and more companies to become ISO-certified. However, companies can use a browser-based tool to help bridge any information gaps they may encounter during the process—and to give them the head start they need to intelligently manage their ISO certification.
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For a lot of companies, making the decision to replace an existing business software system can be a difficult one. The process can be so unpleasant that many organizations may be reluctant to even get started, coming up with a number of reasons why they could probably get by with the systems they already have. If your company is struggling with this tough decision, you may want to ask yourself these ten basic questions.
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Any organization that deploys multiple same-application servers with regularity could benefit from virtual appliances. Virtualization solutions eliminate the need to copy an operating system (OS) and application into each virtual environment, by creating a single, centrally installed master copy instead. It saves time on installation and enables greater levels of efficiency, manageability, flexibility, and resource use.
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Traditional business intelligence (BI) solutions are becoming a thing of the past. Companies today are moving toward business solutions that can help maintain a competitive edge while empowering business executives across the enterprise. Operational BI is an approach that incorporates traditional BI best practices with the benefits of real-time information flow, resulting in more user-directed initiatives.
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Point of sale (POS) software was designed to speed up sales checkout processes. However, it has evolved to include many more features, and is now more commonly referred to as retail management systems (RMS). The benefits of implementing RMS are clear—they can help increase profits, improve marketing strategies, automate manual processes, manage inventory, and—most importantly—make the customer experience more memorable.
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As a business employing IT, you may have encountered situations where the software application you purchased didn’t come with a help file. With no time to write complete documentation yourself and no budget to hire a professional technical writer to do it for you, what do you do? By applying the basic principles of cost-effective documentation, your business can develop impressive documentation quickly—for a minimal cost.
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The most effective project managers know that accounting for the effort, cost, and profitability of each person or project is the best way to succeed—and doing so is not as hard as you might think. The process will take you from where you probably are right now (the state we affectionately term “chaos”) to a prosperous state of order—and will also save your organization financial resources and valuable employee time.
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Keeping track of your key business indicators is the difference between a thriving business concern and a business on life support. But even with this knowledge, one-third of chief executive officers (CEOs) feel they don’t spend enough time reviewing financial and operating numbers. But is spending more time agonizing over piles of data really the best solution?
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It has been estimated that two-thirds of all complex technology solutions, such as customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and performance management result in less than successful outcomes. Implementing a complex technology-enabled performance management solution is a worthwhile, but significant challenge. That’s why the implementation of technology must be a small part of a larger change effort.
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Setting up a performance management system can deliver immense value to your organization. But in order to successfully execute a performance management system, and to avoid critical missteps, you need to focus on the three important core processes that must be launched and navigated—before you launch the performance improvement process.
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Formalized risk management is underused in project management, where the focus is typically on schedule and budget. This affects most aspects of a project, including evaluation, selection, planning, execution, and control. How many project decisions are made without formally evaluating the potential consequences? When budgets are tight and competition is fierce, this question is more relevant than ever.
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Project portfolio management (PPM) is a tool-supported process for optimally managing an organization’s “portfolio” of projects. And although PPM can provide real value, many organizations are finding PPM implementations difficult. However, there are key approaches that can increase your likelihood of success, as well as an effective step-by-step process for implementing PPM within your organization.
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Quocirca conducted two surveys separated by twelve months that looked at the data management infrastructure of UK and Irish businesses, and how this was linked to their ability to respond to the whims of the regulators. In the year between the two surveys, a lot had changed.
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A smaller budget, a smaller staff—managing a small company isn’t easy. And managing for growth only multiplies the challenges. Hard work is essential, but for sustainable growth, careful planning, specialized expertise, and technology support are also necessary. That’s why managers of smaller firms aiming at expansion need to remember some essential guidelines before it’s too late to turn back.
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Installing software and patch updates can be frustrating and time-consuming for IT staff and users alike. But it's critical to update your computers regularly to keep security filters current. This need increases exponentially if your users are mobile and geographically dispersed. Should this continue to be the responsibility of your IT staff? Or should you outsource this function to a managed service provider (MSP)?
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While open innovation is a hot topic, capitalizing on opportunity requires a holistic strategy—not just increased collaboration. Companies must have repeatable, compliant, and responsive business processes. These processes must be supplemented by a global information infrastructure that provides a single source of the truth, along with alignment across departmental silos, and solutions that evolve without coding.
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Ask any three people in an organization why they budget and you’ll get three different answers. But no one says they budget in order to direct the way in which their organization will achieve its strategic goals—the intended purpose of the budget. For budgeting to become the relevant process it was meant to be, this gap must be fixed.
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Organizations often see a significant gap between their strategic plans and their ability to execute them, and many try to implement scorecards to solve precisely this problem. Unfortunately, most organizations look solely at the warning lights (how close are expenses and revenue to budget) rather than focusing on where they want to go—and how they’re going to get there.
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Project portfolio management (PPM) is a hot topic, and there’s no shortage of related advice. However, much of the current advice is incomplete—or flat-out wrong. Before purchasing a tool, buyers should familiarize themselves with established theories for valuing projects. Armed with understanding, they can avoid getting "burned" by the unsuitable PPM tools that are being pushed in the marketplace.
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Most chief executive officers (CEOs) have developed strategies that push their companies to achieve certain goals. So why are so many companies failing to achieve these goals? Because their twenty-first century vision is being held back by twentieth century processes and IT systems. The missing ingredient: information. And the key to facilitating the flow of information lies in integrated processes.
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Successful enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations can force organizations to reevaluate their business practices and processes, create a higher understanding of the need for data accuracy, and enable a more effective data-sharing environment. However, such high-level benefits require a new approach to project implementation—one that applies the lessons of the past to reinvent the systems of the future.
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When business uncertainties are frequent and compliance with regulations is mandatory, it can be a challenge to keep information technology (IT) synchronized with strategy for maximum business value—while reducing IT cost. An IT portfolio management framework, coupled with an IT governance framework, can provide visibility into projects and IT assets, keeping them aligned to business objectives at all times.
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User proficiency is critical to software implementations. Without competent users, your implementation will probably fail, and the return from your software investment will be less than anticipated. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence, often attributable to lags between training and the go-live date. In-application performance support is thus of tangible benefit to users—and to your organization as a whole.
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Installing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is both challenging and exciting. Yet many organizations do not recognize that one of the largest threats to such a project is a failure to focus on process improvement. If process change is not seen as a necessary element of the project, it will never be as successful as it should be.
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Most decisions on technology investments, like decisions in other business areas, are tied to expected benefits. Typically, these benefits are identified as cost savings, greater efficiencies, "best practices," or more sales. But too often the value promised by adopting new technology is misinterpreted or misunderstood by the business. The result: mismanaged expectations, or worse, business decisions made with faulty information.
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Multinationals achieve global presence through networks of subsidiaries. However, managing these subsidiaries poses a significant challenge for the corporate headquarters. Failure to monitor, govern, and control subsidiaries can cause inefficiencies in the value chain, even threatening the future of the entire corporation. In this context, how multinationals decide to implement business applications in their subsidiaries is nothing short of critical.
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Technology innovation continues at an incredible rate. Computing power, end user devices, networking and communication options, and software applications all offer new capabilities and options unimagined even five years ago. But the challenge remains the same as ever: how to select technology investments wisely? By following some basic guidelines, a company can help ensure its technology investments support business direction.
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One of the biggest decisions that must be made in the support and evolution of a purchased software application is whether to upgrade or reimplement. This one decision has far-ranging implications on the entire organization, and can drive the technology direction for years to come. The key is to understand the difference between an upgrade and a reimplementation.
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A recent report by the European Commission noted that Europe is not investing in productivity-enhancing information technology and communications (ITC) as much as the US. The report also claimed that the situation is still worse for small to medium businesses (SMBs). Comparing the data from two recent Quocirca studies underlines the problem, and shows the price European SMBs are paying.
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The “fast close” describes the ability to complete accounting cycles and close books quickly. Companies that don’t close fast often miss reporting deadlines, and can suffer in the eyes of shareholders, investors, regulatory agencies, and trade exchanges. However, companies can overcome barriers to fast close by shifting some tasks outside the close process, and by automating traditionally manual consolidation functions.
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If you’ve outgrown your paper-based timesheet system, or if you have multiple time collection systems, it gets hard to understand project costs, figure out what people are working on, and send error-free bills to your customers. That’s why you need to be sure you’ll be immune to the most common problems people experience when buying a timesheet collection automation system.
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IT today is often caught between a rock and a hard place: its budget has been reduced, while expectations remain undiminished. Moving beyond this paradox requires fresh approaches to IT management and governance. Today’s IT operations must remain aligned with strategic organizational priorities, deliver promised results with control and predictability, and transparently report problems in time to act on them.
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In the UK, government IT has a poor track record. Too much money is wasted on complex projects which fail to deliver the anticipated benefits. However, it is possible to deliver IT projects successfully in the public sector if sensible business and technology strategies are combined within strong project management frameworks to promote a spirit of mutual understanding and respect.
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Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is no longer just for giant companies. Time and critical mass have dramatically cut the cost, complexity, and speed to value of ERP solutions. Today’s ERP systems enable companies of every size to maximize speed and flexibility to close the gap in core business processes, and to gain visibility into customer needs and supplier performance.
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Current enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementation methodologies give too much attention to the ”hard core” technical side of the project, and too little to the organizational change needed to complete the project successfully. Because of the complex nature of these projects, different experts are required—not only ERP or IT experts, but also experts in managing organizational change.
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The Microsoft Dynamics NAV Rapid Implementation Methodology (RIM) automates standard processes, speeds up implementation time, and drives the sharing of best practice knowledge and solutions between partners. But in order to understand how RIM can be used in an implementation project to get implementations up and running smoothly and quickly, it is important to understand the different components of RIM.
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The concept of getting business requirements right sounds straightforward. However, flawed requirements trigger 70 percent of project failures. The larger the number of stakeholder groups involved, and the more complex the processes, the more likely a project will fail. Success in large projects is not just about completeness, but also about getting complete requirements information early in the development process.
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When a project management office (PMO) operates well, the impact can be extraordinary. All too often, though, the PMO doesn’t become a clear asset. In order to avoid the worst-case scenario, PMO team members often become internal advisors with marginal impact and no authority. What can be done to avoid this? And what are the keys to successful PMO implementations?
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Product lifecycle management (PLM) implementation strategies are in many cases unique from company to company. However, it is not uncommon for companies to encounter some of the same obstacles or pitfalls along the way. Understanding where these nasty little pitfalls lie will hopefully help you steer clear of them, and improve your chances for PLM success.
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It’s essential to better understand the challenges associated with identifying, pursuing, and managing total cost of ownership (TCO) metrics and standards. Even when companies use the clearest and most commonly applied metrics, they often don't obtain adequate results—or the results of their analysis prove misleading. Instead, companies should think about how best to manage TCO from a business perspective.
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The evolution of global discrete manufacturing is ongoing. How executives at manufacturing companies answer questions and anticipate what will be the right answer six months, a year, or two years from now will determine the success of their company. Infor examines current industry trends and identifies what it believes to be the seven trends producing the greatest stress and change in discrete manufacturing today.
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This paper presents the arguments in favour of adopting a risk assessment strategy, and ways in which it can benefit your project as well as your business as a whole.
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Companies are successfully realizing benefits from their procurement initiatives, and viewing procurement as an integral part of their overall corporate strategy. They no longer perceive procurement as a cost center, but rather as a strategic lever for improving profits or funding new initiatives. Procurement opportunities are significant—translating directly, with no dilution, into measurable, hard dollar profit increases.
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Procurement Outsourcing: The 10 Things Companies Really Want to Know draws upon recent discussions with dozens of companies that are exploring outsourcing services. Jason Gilroy and colleagues draw upon their years of procurement expertise to provide answers to common questions surrounding the outsourcing of procurement services.
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One of the biggest challenges a project manager faces is the difficulty of tracking project progress once a project has been started. It can be difficult to keep track of each task and assignment as they are started, completed, or delayed. Fortunately, there are now new tools and methodologies, made available through PSNext 1.6, that help manage projects.
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Enterprises must collaborate or they will surely stagnate. Guarded proprietary information has given way to collaborative approaches where information is shared both inside and outside the enterprise’s walls. To survive, an enterprise must be flexible enough to collaborate externally with suppliers and partners while fostering the same environment with its employers.
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Cada módulo cuenta con múltiples funcionalidades que facilitan la operación de los procesos lo que permite su adecuado control y administración. Entre los módulos se encuentran: Punto de Venta, Activos Fijos, Asistencias, Warehouse Management System, auto transporte, Vales, Tesorería, Servicios, Servicios internos, Recursos Humanos, Producción, Proyectos, Precios y Costos, Planeador de Ordenes, Nómina y otros.
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Quality data in the supply chain is essential in when information is automated and shared with internal and external customers. Dirty data is a huge impediment to businesses. In this article, learn about the four critical success factors to clean data: 1- scope, 2- team, 3- process, and 4- technology.
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Any project represents significant effort in terms of justifying resource allocation and expense. Project failure may not only diminish or eliminate expected benefits, but also damage existing tools and processes. There are ten key steps for project success; many of these steps occur concurrently, and are important focal points for teams and executives contemplating initiating projects.
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Business intelligence (BI) capabilities transform vast amounts of data into relevant information that organizations rely on to make decisions and manage performance. Most companies have some form of BI, and most are familiar with its benefits. However, in order to extract maximum advantage from BI initiatives, it is necessary to be aware of—and avoid—their seven “fatal flaws.”
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